Two Kinds of Demons
by MissBrie
Summary: Ciel and Sebastian are solving yet another mysterious case for the Queen. This time, they are facing an equally clever vampire.
1. Chapter 1

It was a bright summer's morning, and the 13 year old Earl was sitting at his desk still recovering from a ball held the Lady Elizabeth's estate, which he had attended the night before. How he hated balls; all the dancing and pretending to be cheerful. Unfortunately, as the head of the Phantomhive house, it was a duty he had to fulfill.

Engulfed in the silence of his office, Ciel closed his uncovered eye as a warm breeze came in through the open widow behind him. It shot open immediately, at the sound of a knock at the door announcing his butler's presence. "Come in," he said dully.

Sebastian Michaelis entered the office with a tea cart containing the morning's tea. "Your tea, Young Master," he said coming over to the desk. His red eyes gleamed from the incoming sun as he poured steaming water from the pot into a delicate little cup.

"Earl Grey again?" Ciel asked unamused.

"I was under the impression that you favored the flavor of this particular tea, Sir." Sebastian replied with a slight smile. Ciel remained silent and sipped the scalding liquid.

"Seems as if there have been more deaths of sheep in the village the past few nights." Sebastian said handing Ciel the morning paper.

"Hmm." The earl continued to flip through the pages with little interest.

"You've also received a letter from the Queen." Ciel looked up from the paper. "Two people have been found dead in the past two nights. One in the East End and another by the docks. Both victims were young women and looked as if all the blood was drained out of of their bodies."

"Interesting," Ciel replied looking at the letter intrigued. "Has the Yard gotten involved yet?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, they are at the docks now, examining the latest victim, a Miss Isabelle Harvey."

"I see. Sebastian, get a carriage ready to depart. I'd like to see this victim for myself,"

"Right away, my Lord," the butler replied with a slight bow and headed out the door.

Within a few minutes Sebastian had the carriage in front of the manor, ready to depart. Sebastian helped the Earl get in and then proceeded to the front to the reigns.

The Earl sat in the dim carriage analyzing the Queen's letter further while listening to the sounds of the busy streets of London. "Both victims had two small puncture marks on their necks," Ciel muttered to himself. "What could that mean?" There was something about this case that made the young Earl feel uneasy. He didn't know why; he had received many strange cases from the criminal underworld before, but this, this felt different for some reason.

Ciel was so deep in thought that he didn't even realize that the carriage had stopped. He was snapped out of his reverie by a sudden burst of sunlight coming in from the now open door. "We have arrived, My Lord." Sebastian said offering him a hand. Ciel took it and stepped out, immediately smelling the cool, salty sea air.

"That must be the Yard over there," Sebastian said pointing to a little group of people a little ways off crowding around a figure lying on the ground by the ports.

"Come, Sebastian." Ciel ordered and started walking toward them. The hustle and bustle of loading cargo onto ships still continued despite the investigation.

As they got to the crowd they were greeted by a tall gray haired man. "If it isn't the Queen's guard dog. What are you doing here Phantomhive?" the man asked in a deep irritated voice.

"Simply fulfilling my civil duty to the Queen, Sir Arthur," Ciel replied. "Show me the body."

Sir Arthur gave a little humph but led him through the crowd of curious onlookers.

"Hello, Ciel." a cheery brown haired man said as he spotted the Earl. "Here to investigate?"

"Why else would he be here, idiot," Sir Arthur snapped. The young man recoiled at the retort.

Ciel went closer to examine the body in detail while Sebastian stayed to the side. She was very young, she had to be in her early twenties, Ciel thought. She had long brown curls and a face as delicate and as beautiful as a porcelain doll, but pale. So pale, that it looked as white as a sheet. The two small red dots just over carotid artery stood out against the paleness of her skin.

"Her name was Isabelle Harvey." The young man stated looking down at the victim sympathetically. "She lived in a small cottage in the village down the road about a mile or so. She just turned twenty a couple of days ago and had no family. She was on the ship coming in from Paris last night, probably visiting for her birthday."

"I am already aware of her history, Inspector Aberline." Ciel said still examining the body. "What I want to know is what caused those puncture wounds on her neck and why she looks as if she has no blood left in her? "

"It seems so be some kind of bite mark, but what animal or object has the ability to suck out all the blood of a human?" the Inspector replied.

"In other words you don't know," the Earl said with a sigh turning to face the inspectors. "I suspected as much."

"You have no rite to criticize Scotland Yard's work when you know just as much as we do." Sir Arthur retorted angrily. "You think just because your the Queen's guard dog you can do and say whatever you please. You forget your place, you are still a child."

"I may still be a child, but I would think Scotland Yard, who also loyally serves Her Majesty, would at least put in a greater effort to find the culprit." Sir Arthur glared at Ciel, but said nothing.

"Come, Sebastian, We're leaving. I've gotten all the information I need." The butler nodded and obediently followed his master back to the carriage. "What do you make of this Sebastian?" Ciel asked as he was just about to step in.

"I find it very interesting, Sir. Quite the mystery."

"Do you believe it is an animal?"

"In a way." Sebastian replied with a small smile. "I believe it is an animal more cunning and powerful than the normal beast."

Ciel knew his butler was hiding something from him, but decided he would pry it from him later. Right now he wanted to get home to think, so he said nothing and got into the carriage and headed back to the manor.


	2. Chapter 2

"It is time for you to get up, Young Master."

Ciel stirred from his deep, dreamless sleep. A burst of blinding light came into the room as his butler drew the curtains causing him to shield his eyes with his arm. The young Earl sat up slowly as his eyes adjusted to the incoming sunlight. He immediately grabbed the black eye patch that was laying on the bedside table and tied it over his right eye, which contained the seal binding the contract between him and his demon butler. Yawning groggily, he allowed his butler to dress and prepare him for the upcoming day.

"Another young woman was killed last night. This time in a village in the West End." The butler stated while preparing the morning tea.

"Sebastian, you know more about this case then you're letting on, don't you? " Ciel asked looking his butler straight in the eyes.

"I can only fulfill orders which my Master has directly given me. Since you hadn't given me an order, I could not relay the information." Sebastian replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. Ciel gritted his teeth in annoyance. "You need only say the words Master, and I will tell you everything I know."

"Sebastian, this is an order, tell me what you know about this case." Ciel demanded sternly.

"Certainly, my Lord." Sebastian replied with a smile. "I believe that the culprit behind these series of killings is not in fact human but something more."

"Get on with it."

"I believe our perpetrator is a vampire."

"A vampire," Ciel muttered under his breath. "Aren't vampires and demons similar, Sebastian?" He asked filled with curiosity, "Both are disgusting, lecherous creatures of the night, are they not?"

"In that you are correct, my Lord. Although, while vampires are indeed a subspecies of demons, we have long since cut our ties." The butler said with disgust in his voice. Ciel noticed that for a second, the butler's eyes flashed pink and his pupils became thin black slits. "Vampires are sly and cunning creatures, they use their abilities to lure their prey into their trap and then they feast. Demons, or at least most demons, wait for their prey to come to them, this is the more civilized way of hunting. However, I was under the impression that the vampires in England were quieting down over the past few decades, only feeding when necessary. Of coarse, there is the occasion where one gets restless and goes on a hunting spree."

"And is that what we are dealing with here?" Ciel asked interested sipping his tea.

"Yes, I believe it is, my Lord."

"Well then, we'll just have to stop it wont we?" Ciel sneered. "Where is the body of the latest victim? I would like to examine it."

"The Yard has already collected it, Sir."

"Bother, I was hoping we could avoid this, but it seems we have no choice. Sebastian, get a carriage ready."

"Right away, Master."

Ciel and Sebastian stood outside of a building in the town square looking up at a purple sign that read "Undertaker". _Here we go_, thought Ciel as they both walked through the door. The Undertaker's shop had little lighting and coffins, big and small stood lining the walls.

"Would you like some more tea, Missy? No? How about a biscuit?" The crackly voice, which no doubt belonged to the Undertaker, came from the right corner of the large room.

Both Ciel and his butler almost gasped in surprise when they found the Undertaker sitting at a coffin with a tablecloth thrown over it and tea set for two, accompanied by a corpse of a young woman. The retired Reaper took a tea pot and began to pour invisible tea into the corps' cup. "There we go," he said grabbing a bone shaped biscuit and shoving it into his mouth. His long gray gray hair was more disheveled then usual, making him look even more like a lunatic.

Recovered from the momentary shock, Ciel cleared his throat to get the attention of the delusional ex-Reaper. "Ah, Lord Phantomhive. Would you and your butler care to join us for some tea?" The Undertaker asked standing up from his chair.

"No. We came here to see the corpse that came in this morning. I believe that is her over there," the Earl replied flatly, gesturing to the corpse sitting limply in a chair next to the Undertaker.

"A beauty, isn't she? Skin as pale as a porcelain doll. It'll be quite fun prettying her up for her coffin with those two red marks on her neck."

"Do you have any information on her?" Ciel asked impatiently.

"You know my price, Earl Phantomhive. But, perhaps I shall give you a discount, just this time." The undertaker said chuckling. "Helen Frances her name was. She was a poor village woman from the West End, twenty eight years of age. She was married but had no children. Had her husband came in here earlier to identify the body. Poor chap. Looked a horrible mess he did. This makes four victims in this state so far. Has the young Earl figured out who the killer is yet?"

"We believe that this is the work of a vampire," Sebastian answered.

"A vampire, eh? Haven't seen one of those in a while. I heard they were quieting down in London."

"We believe this one is a younger, restless vampire. Most likely male, since his victims are all young women." Sebastian stated.

"Ah, a young rebellious vampire, how fun. Maybe by the end of this case I can finally fit the Young Earl for one of me coffins." The Undertaker chuckled again.

"Is that all the information you have?" Ciel asked irritated.

"Now that you mention it, I've heard some rumors 'bout a strange young man that's come into town, by the name of Jesse Ellwood. He might be your vampire."

"Very well. We shall be going now, I have all the information I need. Thank you." Ciel said walking towards the door, Sebastian following.

"Always nice seeing you, Earl Phantomhive." The Undertaker called as Ciel and Sebastian walked out the door.

"Do you think this Jesse Ellwood is our vampire?" Ciel asked his butler as they walked toward the carriage.

"Indeed I do. And assuming from the pattern of his prey, I believe he will strike again, tonight in the Barnes Village just outside of town here."

"Well, we can't let him have another feast then, can we?"

"Indeed, we cannot, Master," the butler replied with a smirk, his eyes glowing red.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you sure Jesse Ellwood will be in Barnes Village?" Ciel asked Sebastian hesitantly as they walked down a lonely cobblestone road illuminated by the light of a full moon.

"Has my Lord ever known me to be mistaken?" The butler replied with a small smile.

"Shut up," the Earl said sharply. The butler continued to smile.

"Our vampire has a pattern in which he is attacking his victims. He seduces them and leads them off to a dark, desolate place where they can be alone and then, he strikes. First it was the woman in the East end, then the two women by the docks, followed by the woman from the West End."

"And that leads us here how?"

"You see, Master, he is making his way around London, taking his pick from the prominent locations, but always in the villages so as to not arouse too much commotion. Naturally, the next location he will choose will be the village next to the town square because it is nearly in the center of London. He seems to be increasing the class of his victims, trying to make the point that he is more able than expected. Such arrogance is common among vampires."

The young Earl and his butler reached the entrance to the village. Shadows from the full moon reflected off of the small stone houses giving them an eerie look. They walked a ways down the road and then rounded a corner. A small stone house with a large field of grass bordered by a stone wall about 3 feet high greeted them. Ciel noticed what appeared to be a silhouette of a man crouched down with, what looked like to be a female figure in his arms in the distance next to the stone wall.

"Sebastian, could that be..." Ciel trailed off abruptly.

"I believe it is, Master," Sebastian replied.

Ciel quickened his pace, his butler following. As they advanced, Ciel could make out more of the figures with the help of the moonlight. The figure of the man had his back to them and was crouched down with a woman in his arms. The man's head was bent over the her neck as if he were kissing her, but Ciel knew that he was draining her of her blood.

"Let her go!" The Earl yelled when he was only a couple yards away. "In the name of Her Majesty the Queen, I order you to let her go!"

The man paused and slowly lifted his head. "Your too late, Ciel Phantomhive," the voice was airy and cold. It caused chills to run up Ciel's spine. "I've drained too much of her blood, she can't be saved. Her poor little heart is just faintly beating, it will stop any moment now. Shame, she'll be no good once her heart has stopped. What a waste."

The vampire set the woman down and rose to his feet. He was quite tall and slender. He turned to face the Earl. His face looked of a young man, almost boyish, and his big red eyes with thin black slits in the center, gleamed in the moonlight that illuminated his face. Jesse Ellwood took a few steps toward Ciel, licking the excess blood that was tricking down the corners of his thin red lips. He stopped and sneered as he examined Ciel, exposing his long razor sharp fangs.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here," the vampire laughed suddenly, noticing Sebastian for the first time. "The young Earl has got himself a demon. How quaint. Little boys such as yourself shouldn't be running around with evil like that. It's not good for such a young spirit." Ciel gritted his teeth as the vampire continued to chuckle.

"I haven't seen one of your kind in years," the vampire said now addressing Sebastian, who was lurking in the shadow of his master.

"And I yours," Sebastian replied curtly.

"How did you know my name?" Ciel asked.

"Oh, everyone knows your name. You are quite popular amongst the vampires. Ciel Phantomhive, the Queens Guard Dog and manager of the criminal underworld. I knew it was only a matter of time before you tried to stop me." Jesse sneered again, flashing his white fangs.

"I was under the impression that vampires in England were beginning to quiet down," Sebastian remarked.

"You thought correctly. My fellow vampires have made the decision, in the past few decades, to only hunt humans who are old or sickly. They seem to have developed a sort of sympathy for the humans. On occasion, they will even stoop so low as to feed off of the blood of animals such as sheep or cattle. Despicable," he spat.

"Vampires are not meant to starve themselves, feeding only when necessary just because they feel a morsel of guilt for the humans. They are meant to feast on the young, delicious, rich blood that the humans posses. That is their purpose. When I was created, almost a century ago, such behavior would be a disgrace to the name of vampires."

"I see," Sebastian said with great distaste.

"Enough of this idle chatter," Ciel interrupted. He began to untie his eye patch covering his right eye, exposing the seal that bound the contract he had with his demon butler. "Sebastian, this is an order, kill the vampire!"

"As you wish, my Lord." The demon smiled. His eyes flashed red and then turned into a glowing pink and his pupils morphed into narrow black slits. He slowly pulled his white gloves off and threw them onto the grass.

"Quite the obedient demon, aren't you?" Jesse snickered baring his fangs once more.

"I am contractually bound to my master and therefore must do as he wishes. You see, I am simply one hell of butler."

"We shall see," the vampire said in his airy voice.

Ciel watched as the demon and the vampire began to circle each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. It was Sebastian. The demon flipped over the vampire in mid air and with a flick of his wrists, brandished a set of sharp silver knives in each hand. He landed just behind the vampire and threw the first knife. It just missed Jesse's right ear, when the vampire caught it in between his two fingers.

"Nice try," he laughed. "But, I'm afraid your going to have to do a lot better than that to beat me."

"You have very good senses, for one so young," Sebastian replied and threw three more knives in the vampire's direction.

Jesse dodged them without difficulty. He was so fast that he was only a blur when he moved. Then suddenly, he disappeared, reappearing behind Sebastian with his fangs drawn on the side of his neck.

"Sebastian!" Ciel cried.

The Butler quickly jabbed two of his knives into the leg of the vampire causing him to withdraw his sharp razors. The vampire staggered for a second and then pulled the knifes out of his thigh. Taking advantage of his opponents brief moment of weakness, Sebastian did another mid air flip and kicked Jesse in the stomach. The force of the kick sent Jesse hurtling through the air. He landed a couple yards away in the grass. He got up almost immediately, like nothing had ever happened.

Sebastian froze in astonishment. That blow should have at least winded him. The vampire, limping slightly, walked slowly toward the demon and then was a blur once more. This time, he used the knives he had procured from the butler, and stabbed him in the chest. Sebastian fell to his knees. Jesse stood leering down at the injured butler.

"You really are pathetic aren't you, Demon? Can't even take a couple of knives to the chest." The vampire raised one of his clawed hands and slapped Sebastian across the face, leaving three long deep gashes. Sebastian stared up at the laughing vampire, gritting his teeth as blood began to run down his face.

"How dare you call me pathetic, you vile piece of filth," he snarled in his demonic voice.

"Oh, losing our temper are we?" Jesse asked amused.

Sebastian extracted the knives from his chest and threw them at the vampire. Jesse dodged them once more, but not before the tip of one grazed his cheek. The vampire's grin faltered.

"You're weak," the butler said smiling. "The silver is coursing through your body as we speak. I wasn't able to fatally hit you, but even just the smallest amount of silver will weaken a vampire immensely."

"Damn you," Jesse growled, staggering backward, his red eyes glowering. Then, the vampire's smirk returned. Within a second, he was a blur once more, but this time he was more visible. He halted behind Ciel, who was standing in the distance, and forced his head back exposing his neck. "You're mine now, little Earl," Jesse whispered in Ciel's ear. He brought his fangs to the side of Ciel's neck. Ciel could feel the sharp points resting on his tender skin.

"Master!" Sebastian exclaimed, running to him.

Jesse retracted his fangs and threw his head back in laughter. "Scared you, didn't I, Demon?" The vampire started to back away. "I could have sucked you little master's delicious blood if I wanted to, but that would ruin the fun. It is quite amusing, having you under my control like a little dog. You can try, but you can never defeat me."

Sebastian lunged for the vampire but Jesse had disappeared.

"Idiot, you let him get away!" Ciel yelled angrily.

For the second time in that night, Sebastian found himself frozen in astonishment. How could he have let that vile creature get away? "I am sorry, Young Master. I have failed to carry out your order, and I have failed you as your butler. I hang my head in shame."

"Well, I guess we'll have to track him down again. What a bother," the Earl sighed.

Suddenly, Ciel and his butler heard footsteps in the distance. "I thought a demon was behind this." The familiar voice came from ahead in the shadows. "Once again, I am forced to do unpaid overtime."

"Why hello, Bassy! Fancy seeing you here!" Another voice exclaimed.

"Will? Grell? What are you doing here?" Ciel asked as the two reapers stepped out from shadows.

"We were going to collect the soul of an Ann Brunker, but seeing as that's now not an option..." Grell said trailing off, looking at the corpse of the young woman still lying in the grass.

"Why isn't it an option?" Sebastian questioned.

"The soul of a person who is killed by a vampire is defiled, and their cinematic record is black and completely destroyed, leaving nothing to collect. It is similar to those affected by demons." Will explained irritably.

"An unfortunate event," Grell added.

"Come Grell, our work is done here," Will said pulling the red haired reaper by his coat.

"So long Bassy! Until we meet again!" Grell called as he disappeared with Will into the shadows.

The Earl and his butler stared into the darkness until the two reapers were gone. "I'm tired Sebastian, let's go home," Ciel yawned.

"Indeed, My lord." The butler picked the Earl up in his arms and began the journey home to the manor.


	4. Chapter 4

Sebastian Michaelis walked calmly down the silent road, fantasizing about his young master's soul. Oh, how he longed for the day when he could finally devour the luscious soul that his young master possessed. Cold and cunning, but yet also affectionate to the ones he loved. That's what made his master's soul so desirable.

Still in his fantasy, Sebastian rounded a corner and entered the gates to a large brick house. As he was climbing the steps to the front door, the butler was brought back to reality by a voice coming from above.

"That sure took you long enough," Ciel Phantomhive remarked irritably. He was leaning on a second floor windowsill with his chin resting casually on his hand. "I would think that a measly task such as retrieving the post, would be quite simple for a butler like you."

"I am very sorry, Master. I ran into Inspector Abberline on my way back. He required some persuasion to satisfy him as to why my Lord is residing at the town house."

"And what did you tell him?" The Earl asked annoyed.

"I told him that my Lord was taking a summer holiday," the butler replied.

"Good. We don't need the Yard poking their noses in this case. They've already done enough," Ceil said more to himself than to his butler.

"Well, don't just stand there, come inside and bring me some tea," the Earl ordered recovering from a brief moment of being lost in thought.

"Right away, Sir," Sebastian replied and proceeded into the house.

Sebastian entered the study a short while later, with a platter filled with letters and a tea cart filled with sweets and the afternoon's tea. Ciel was sitting at his desk drumming his fingers impatiently.

"You're tea Young Master, accompanied by lemon meringue pie."

"Hmm," Ciel said unimpressed. "Show me the post." The butler nodded and handed the young Earl the day's newspaper followed by a small bundle of letters.

"You've received an invitation to a ball at the Viscount Druitt's estate for tomorrow evening," Sebastian said handing Ciel the letter. Ciel noticed that the date in the corner was from almost a week ago.

"What a bother. Do I have to attend?" Ciel asked cringing as he remembered the last time he showed at a ball at the Viscount's.

"You must, Master. Social events are crucial for an earl with your standings to attend."

"Can't you just tell them I'm ill or something?" Ciel argued.

"I'm afraid not, Master." Sebastian replied. "Besides, my Lord could use a nice little break, and the attire will be different so my Lord needn't fret," the butler smiled.

"Shut up." Ciel snapped. Sebastian continued to to smile, amused by his master's outburst of frustration.

"Very well, I'll go if I must," Ciel mumbled displeased. Sebastian nodded. Ciel sighed and picked up the newspaper that was sitting on the pile of envelopes and started to read while the butler cleared away the tea.

"Still no attacks," Ciel stated looking through the pages of the paper. "That makes a whole week since Jesse's last victim." The Earl didn't like the sudden absence of killings by the vampire. It made him feel uneasy. It was true the vampire was weakened by their last encounter, but not enough for him to stop feeding.

"He's up to something, I know it. I must stop him." Ciel stated determinedly. The butler paused and stared at his master quizzically. He had never seen the young earl so perturbed by a case before. He found it quite interesting.

"What's my schedule today?" Ciel asked after a minute of silence.

"My Lord has a French lesson at one, accompanied by a fencing lesson at three," the Butler replied.

"Very well. Go into town this afternoon and get me a costume for tomorrow night," Ciel ordered.

"As you wish, Sir." Sebastian replied with a slight bow and exited the study.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ciel sat in the study with his forehead resting in his palm. He was once again, deep in thought about the vampire. The mesmerizing flickering from the candle light illuminated the dim room. "Why did Jessesuddenly stop attacking?"Ciel thought. He had to be doing it for a purpose; his craving to feed was too strong to just stop. So what was it?

Suddenly the Earl shot up in realization. "Of course," he murmured.

Ciel got up from his chair and tugged on a long strip of cloth close to the fireplace, summoning his butler. A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door and Sebastian entered.

"You called, Mater?"

"I need to talk to you. I think I have an idea..."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The thirteen year old Earl arrived at the Lord Druitt's estate at exactly 8:30 p.m. accompanied by his butler. Ciel shuddered when the carriage pulled into the manor's gates. "I hate this place," he said flatly.

"Remember the task at hand, my Lord," Sebastian replied calmly. The earl said nothing as the carriage slowed to a stop and was greeted by one of the Viscount's butlers. Ciel sighed as he and his butler exited the carriage and headed up the staircase and into the manor.

The ballroom was absolutely exquisite. Lavish decorations filled the room, waiters were stationed with silver trays of champagne and wine, and an orchestra was seated in the corner playing the beautiful melodies of Mozart and Beethoven. Thehe guests were just as beautiful too, in marvelous gowns and suits. Ciel was surprised to see so many unfamiliar faces.

"There are a lot of foreigners attending tonight," Sebastian stated.

"Yes," the Earl replied. "That makes everything easier."

Suddenly, a man with long flowing blond hair entered the ballroom. Whispers of excitement filled the hall.

"There he is." Ciel heard someone say in the distance. "That's the Viscount!"

The Lord Druitt made his rounds around the room, shaking hands and greeting his guests.

"Ahh, Earl Phantomhive! How nice of you to come," the Viscount exclaimed when he finally got to Ciel. "It's such a pleasure to meet you at last."

"The pleasure's all mine," Ciel replied forcing a cheery smile.

"Oh, such beauty in one so young! My heart leaps with joy at the sight!" Lord Druitt cried. "You remind me of someone I met a while back. A pretty little robin." Ciel clenched his fists, but continued to smile.

"Well, I do hope you enjoy yourself tonight. Perhaps we shall talk a little bit later." Druitt grinned, shaking Ciel's hand.

"Yes. Thank you," Ciel grinned back.

"That was very well done, Master," Sebastian stated smiling, once the Viscount was out of earshot. Ciel shot him a glance then turned to face the crowd.

The orchestra had struck up a waltz and everyone was beginning to gather in the center of the room and positioning themselves to dance.

Sebastian's smile faltered. "Would my Lord care for something to drink?" Ciel nodded.

The butler made his way around the dancing guests, concentrating hard. He knew that smell. The foul smell that only something that vile could procure. He was almost there...

"Oh Bassy!" A shrill excited voice called. Sebastian halted. Someone emerged from the crowd, dressed in a fancy red gown and strikingly red hair to match.

"Grell?" Sebastian asked. "What are you doing here? And why are dressed like that?"

"Aren't I lovely? It's not very often that I get to show off my good looks in a wonderful dress," the reaper exclaimed.

"Why are you here?" Sebastian asked again irritated. The sent was getting harder to make out.

"Ooooh, so stern. I love a man who means business." The demon glared.. "Alright, I am here for work. Someone is slated to die tonight, here at the ball."

"Who?"

"A woman by the name of Victoria Jones."

Sebastian started to turn and walk away, when Grell grabbed him by the arm. "Where are you going my dear Bassy? Aren't you going to ask a lady to dance?"

"No." Sebastian replied sharply. The sent was fading even more.

"Now, don't force me to make a scene. I know you wouldn't want that," the reaper smirked.

It was gone.

Sebastian had no choice but to oblige to the reaper's request. He couldn't afford for Grell to draw attention to him.

"Just one dance," the butler said indignantly.

"One is all I need, Bassy!" Grell replied grinning widely.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ciel stood waiting on the other side of the ballroom tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for his butler to return. The earl glanced around at the dancing guests, examining each person.

"Excuse me, Earl Phantomhive?" A voice said to his left.

Ciel turned to see a young man, who couldn't be older than twenty, with auburn hair and large brown eyes facing him. "Yes," Ciel answered.

"I am very sorry if I disturbed you," the young man said in a high voice, nervously tugging on his suit cuffs. "I am Earl Edmund Stanley. I am so honored to actually meet you. You see, my little boy absolutely adores the products your company makes. When I saw you standing there, I just had to introduce myself and thank you for all of your hard work. You make so many children happy." The man gave a shy smile.

Ciel stared for a second. He didn't know that there was a young Earl Stanley. He knew the name, but not very well. Nonetheless, he smiled back. "I am honored. It always brings me great joy meeting my costumers and knowing that they are enjoying my products."

The young man grinned even more. "You know, I would love for you to meet my wife. I know she would absolutely love to meet you!"

"Well I-" Ciel began hesitantly.

"Come on, I insist!" The man said. Ciel paused, but then agreed. They were paying costumers after all, and he did need to keep up his public image.

"Excellent!" The Earl Stanley clapped his hands together in excitement. "This is going to make her night!"

Ciel forced smiled again, and followed the young man out of the ballroom and into the main hall.

"She's just in the other room. She wanted to get away from all the commotion for a little while. The poor thing gets these horrible headaches. So, the Viscount was so very nice as to let her stay in one of his rooms."

The man led Ciel around a corner that led to another, smaller hall, and then turned to face a closed door. "Come. In here," he held the door open to let Ciel in first.

The room was large and very dark. Ciel looked around, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He noticed an open window next to the bed that was letting in a trickle of moon light. The Earl's wife was nowhere in sight. He heard the door close behind him.

"Are you sure you have the correct room?" Ciel asked starting to feel uneasy.

"Yes, this is the one, Ciel Phantomhive." The voice that came from the man was different now. It was deeper, airy, and cold. Ciel knew that voice.

The man slowly turned around. Two glowing red eyes now faced Ciel. The man smiled exposing two razor sharp fangs.

It was Jesse.


End file.
